Bag emptying device



Dec. 3, 1940. R, B. SMALL BAG EMPTYING DEVICE Filed Deo. 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l liti i Dec; 3, `1940. R B. SMALL 2,224,094

BAG EMPTYING DEVI CE Filed Dec. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `Patented Dec. 3, 1940 BAG EMPTYING DEVICE `Raymond B. Small, New Rochelle, N. Y. Application December` 23, 1938, Serial No. 247,522

` s claims. (o1. 22o-41) `The invention relates to a bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners.`

`The objectof the present invention is to provide, for vacuumcleaner zbags, an emptying device having a closure slidably `mounted on the vacuumbag and movable to and from an emptying opening therein to cover and uncover such opening and having a limited flexibility to enable it, when open,` tosag to a limited extent suilcient to ,clear the bag and at the same time possessing sufficient stability and integrity to maintain it out of engagement with the oor, so that itwill not be necessary to connect or attach the outer end ofthe closure to the bag to ac complish this purpose. i

It is also an object of the invention `to provide a device of this character having al closure comprising a single sheet of yieldable material of greater thickness than the corresponding dimension of the guides in whichthe `closure slides, whereby the closure when moved to its closed positicn will be compressed by the guides and maine r` tained in dust-proof contact with the' bag, thereby obviating the necessity of padding thebag aroundthe emptying opening or providing any other form of packing for rendering `theeclosure dust-tight. .i Y

It is also an object of the invention to provide the slidable closure with means arranged to engage the closure guides forlimiting the closing movement of the closure and `adapted also to compress the end portion of the `closure tightly against the bag for insuring a dust-tight connection thereat when the closure is in its closed position.

It is alsoanobject of therinventionto provide a bag emptying device having a closure with theV adjacent characteristics capable of being operated by a dirt cup or receptacle slidable in the closure guides and movable into registering relation with theemptying opening of the vacuum bag as the closure is moved therefrom and adapted to return the closure to its closed position as the dirt cup is withdrawn from beneath vthe bag emptying opening, so that the bag emptying opening will becovered at all times either by the closure or the dirt cup or by portions of both of the same and escape of dust into the surrounding atmosphere effectually prevented. I

. With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the `spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 5

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuumA cleaner provided with a bag emptying device constructed in accordance with this invention, the

dirt cup being removed and the closure being 10V shown in its closed position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the bag emptying device, the parts being arranged as' shown in Figure 1 without the dirt cup.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional 15 view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of `Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken o-n the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, the dust cup being in position for moving the closure to open position.

Figure 7 is a similar view, the closure being open and tire dust cup being located beneath the 25 bag emptying opening.

"Figure 8` is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the inven- 30 tion, the bag emptying device, which may be applied to any vacuum cleaner having a dust receiving bag, comprises in its construction a slidable closure l constructed of soft, yieldable, compressible rubber or similar material and consists of a single sheet of rubber or other material having similar characteristics reinforced by a sheet 2 of woven Wire embedded in the relatively soit, flexible, yieldable and compressible sheet l and adapted to stiffen the same transversely and to limit the iiexibilty of the closure l longitudinally in the direction of its sliding movement, so that, when the closure is moved by a dirt cup 3 or an analogous receptacle from the closed position illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings to 45 the open position shown in Figure '7, it will sag slightly and sufciently to prevent it from engaging the bag and will have sufficient stability and integrity to support itself in an elevated position above the iioor when the dirt cup is arranged upon the same for emptying the contents of the bag 4 of the vacuum cleaner into the dirt cup. 'I'he closure I, which has continuous, smooth, unbroken upper and lower surfaces, is slidably mounted ln guides 5 which are secured by bolts 65 6 or other suitable fastening devices to opposite sides of a rigid rectangular frame l sewed into the vacuum `bag 4 and framing a rectangular emptying opening 8, as clearly illustrated in Fig` ures 4 and 5 of the drawings. .The frame 1 is constructed of metal or other suitable material and the guides '5 are preferably stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal or other suitable material. 'Ihe guides 5 have angular bends extending longitudinally of the guides and forming guiding flanges 9 which cooperate with the frame I to form guide grooves for the reception of the side edges of the slidable closure I.

The relatively soft, yieldable material of the slidable closure is adapted to be compressed by the guides when the closure is moved along the guides to its closed position and, in order to e'ect a dust-tight contact with the bag, the closure is made of a thickness greater than the corresponding dimension of the guides, so that the marginal side portions of the closure will be compressed by the guides as illustrated in Figures 4 and5 of the drawings. This will eifectually prevent the escape of dust at the side portions of the closure and wiilalso operate to maintain the end portions of the closure in tight engagement with the bag at the transverse portions of the rigid frame 1. The closure may be of any desired color to harmonize with the finish of the vacuum cleaner to which the bag emptying device may be applied. The guides 5 are beveled at I0 at the endsY of theguide anges 9 to facilitate guiding the dirt cup and the closure into the spaced guides 5. The closure is'provided with transverse end bars I I and I2 arranged on the exterior of the closure and secured to the same by suitable fastening devices I3 and I4 which pierce the end bars and the closure, but any other suitable fastening means may, of course, be provided and the said end bars II and I2 maybe constructed of sheet metal or any other suitable material. The end bar II has its outer marginal portion bent into an approximately U-shaped catch I5, which is engaged by an approximately L-shaped flange I6, which forms a catch or cooperating member for detachably connecting or interlocking the dirt cup with one end of the closure, whereby the closure may be moved from its closed position tof its open position and returned from the open position to the closed position by the dirt cup 3 which is provided with a suitable handle I1 to enable it to be conveniently operated. The L- shaped ange or catch I6 and the U-shaped catch I5 enable the dirt cup to be readily connected with and disconnected from the closure when the closure is in its closed position, but as soon as the dirt cup, which is provided with side flanges I9 to engage the guides 5, is moved between the guides and the closure is partly or fully open, the guides will prevent the dirt cup frombeing detached from the slidable closure, as it will be impossible for the dirt cup to be arranged at the angle necessary to carry the L-shaped flange I6 out of engagement with the catch I5. As soon as the dirt cup is moved between the beveled portions of the guides, it may be readily disconnected from the closure as the beveled portions of the guides will not interfere with the necessary movement of the dirt cup to effect this disengagement of the L-shaped flange I 6 from the U-shaped catch I5.

The end bar I2 at the Other end of the closure is provided with terminal tongues 20 which are bent inwardly towards the dust bag 4, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, to arrange them in proper position for positively engaging the guides and also to cause the tongues to compress the adjacent portion of the closure and maintain the same in dust-tight contact with the bag. Also the outer marginal portion 2| of the end bar I2 is slightly deiiected by a longitudinal bend for forcing the marginal portion of the closure inwa'rdly into dust-tight engagement with the bag. The tongues 20 are of a width less than that of the end bar I2 and are formed by recessing or cutting away the en'i bar at the terminals thereof and the marginal portion of the en d bar I2 lies between the guide bars when the cloure I is in its closed position.

One of the end bars is provided witha recess 22, which, when the closure is in its closed position, is adapted to be engaged by a slidable latch 23 consisting of aplate provided with spaced slots 24, through which pass headed fasteningdevices 25 which slidably secure the latch to the exterior of the closure. The latch is disposed transversely of the closure adjacent to one edge thereof and its inner end is bent outwardly to provide a finger piece 26 to enable the slidable latch to be readily manipulated in moving it into and out of engagement with the recess. f

Thedirt cup 3, which may be made of sheet metal or-any other suitable material, is preferably rectangular and is designed to be provided with a contracted upper portion 21 to conform to the size of the emptying opening of the bag and at the same time to enable the dirt cup to be made of the desired capacity. The dirt cup is provided at one end with a downwardly extend- -ing L-shaped iiange I6 and provided at its other end with an upwardly extending L-shaped fiange 21, which forms a stop for engaging the adjacent transverse portion of the frame I to limit'the sliding movementof the dirt cup and the cover actuated by the same.` The stop ange 2l may, however, be arranged to engage the ends of the guides to limit such movement, but any suitable stop means may be provided.

When the dirt cup is applied to the vacuum cleaner bag 4 as illustratedv in Figure 7 of the drawings, it is lowered to a horizontal position to rest upon the oor and the upper endV of the bag 4 may be detached from the handle of the vacuum cleaner, but the bag may be emptied without detaching it from the handle. After the bag has been emptied, the closure is returned to its closed position by the dirt cup and Athe latter is then disengaged from the closure. 'I'he bag emptying device will enable a vacuum cleaner dust bag to be emptied of its contents without permitting any dust to escape into the surrounding atmosphere and, in the opening movement of the closure, any dust on the inner surface of the closure will vbe swept into the dirt cup as the smooth surface of the closure passes beneath the rigid frame. y

In the use of the vacuum cleaner, the closure is maintained in position against opening incident to the frictional resistance which would be encountered in any movement of the cover with relation to the guides due to the compressive action on the longitudinal edges of the closure by the guides, obviating the use of any holding means or latch to maintain the closure in ncrmal position over the emptying aperture. The nature of the material of which-the closure is composed, as hereinbefore described, is such as to tend to seal the closure against movement incident to any internal pressure within the bag.

. by eliminating packing, and a sheet of wire mesh material embedded in the sheet of iiexlble material and stiffening the same transversely and limiting the exibility of the closure longitudinally in the direction ci its sliding movement whereby the iiexible closure will ilex suiiiciently to clear the bag and will have sumcient stability to hold itself in an elevated position out of contact with the floor when the closure is moved to open position.

2. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having an aperture for emptying purposes, a rigid frame surrounding the aperture and secured to the bag, spaced guidesjoinedto the frame, and a closure slidable in the guides and comprising a single sheet of relatively soit, yieldable, flexible, compressible material of greater thickness than the corresponding dimension of the guides, whereby when the cover is moved into closing position it will be compressed by the guides and will form a dust-tight connection with the bag without additional packing.

3. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having an aperture for emptying purposes, a rigid frame surrounding the' aperture and secured to the bag, spaced guides joined to the frame, a closure slidable in the guides and comprising a single sheet of relatively soit, yieldable, iiexible, compressible material of greater thickness than the corresponding dimension of the guides, whereby when the cover is moved into closing position it will be compressed by the guides and will form a dusttlght connection with the bag without additional.

packing, and a sheet of woven wire embedded within the sheet of yieldable material and stiftening the same transversely and limiting the ilexibility of the yieldable sheet longitudinally in the direction of the sliding movement of the vclosure adapted to permit a suiiicientnlexing of the closure to prevent contact with the bag when the closure is in its open position, the wire mesh imv parting sumcient stability to the exible sheet to enable the same to maintain itself out of contact with the iloor when the closure is moved to open position.

4. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners Aincluding a bag having an aperture for emptying purposes, a rigid frame secured to the bag and surrounding the aperture, spaced guides Joined to the frame, a closure slidable in the guides comprising a single sheet ci relatively soft, yieldable, compressible material, and a transverse end bar secured to the exterior of the closure and provided with terminal tongues arranged to engage said guides to limit the .closing movement oi the'closure and flexed inwardly in the direction o f the bag for compressing the yieldable material in dust-tight engagement with the bag.

5. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having an aperture for emptying purposes, a rigid frame secured to the bag and surrounding the aperture, spaced guides joined to the frame, a closure slidable in the guides comprising asingle sheet of relatively soft, yieldable, compressible material, and a transverse end bar secured to the exterior or the closure and provided with terminal tongues arranged to engage said guides to limit the closing movement of the closure and iiexed inwardly in the direction of the bag for compressing the yieldable material in dust-tight engagement with the bag, said end bar also having its outer marginal portion iiexed inwardly for compressing and holding the closure in tight engagement with the bag.

6. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having van aperture for emptying purposes, spaced guides located at opposite sides of the aperture, one of the guides being provided at its inner edge with a recess, a. closure slidable ln the guides for covering and uncovering the aperture, and a latch slidably mounted on the closure and arranged to engage said recess for locking the closure in its closed position.

7. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners including a bag having an aperture for emptying purposes, a frame secured to the bag and surrounding the aperture, spaced guides secured to the frame, a closure-slidable in the guides and normally closing said aperture and including a sheet of relatively soft, yieldable, compressible material of a thickness slightly greater than the corresponding dimension of the guides so as to provide for a relatively tight, sliding, frictional flt ofthe longitudinal edges of the closure in said guides to thereby maintain the closure normally closed.

8. A bag emptying device for vacuum cleaners having an aperture for emptying purposes, a frame secured to the bag and surrounding the aperture, spaced guides secured to the i'rame, a closure slidable in the guides andy normally closing said aperture and including a sheet or relatively soft yieldable, compressible material o1!` a thickness slightly greater than the corresponding RAYMOND B. SMALL. 

